Books by People Wins UK Approval for Human-Authored Book Mark, With 5 Publishers Signed
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Oct 7
Books by People Wins UK Approval for Human-Authored Book Mark, With 5 Publishers Signed
3 articles · Updated · WIRED · Oct 7
Summary
Five publishers have already signed up after Books by People won UK Intellectual Property Office approval to issue a thumbprint-style mark certifying a book was written by a human.
The startup says the label responds to a wave of AI-authorship scandals that has shaken trust in publishing, including a reported $2 million book deal collapse and a withdrawn novel.
Its process goes beyond author self-certification, combining declarations, proprietary software and manual review of drafts, research materials and editorial records; the first marked book is expected by year-end.
Publishers and writers backing the scheme call it a values signal for human storytelling, but critics warn false positives could damage authors, citing one debut novel flagged 97% AI-generated.